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This is an appeal to the subscribers, contributors, advertisers and well-wishers of Economic and Political Weekly (EPW), published by Sameeksha Trust, a public charitable trust registered with the office of the Charity Commissioner, Mumbai, India. EPW has completed 50 years of publication. Details here.

Globally, tobacco consumption is one of the most important preventable causes of mortality. While tobacco's ill effects on health are well studied, private expenditure on tobacco remains hidden and neglected. This study shows that personal as well as government efforts towards development have been more than neutralised by the free reign of tobacco in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra. Since the expenditure on tobacco is likely to result in worsening of poverty in addition to adverse health consequences, the government should strongly consider stricter implementation of the tobacco control policy as an important strategy.

This article, based on a study by an alliance of NGOs called Child Deaths Study and Action Group (CDSAG), examines official statistics on child mortality rates in Maharashtra, juxtaposing them against the study's own findings, which also measured the extent and causes of under-reporting of child deaths in the state. It discusses the discrepancies discovered between official figures and the study report, especially in the neonatal mortality rates. It also looks at the causes of child deaths reported by the study through its 'social audit', which seeks to trigger social and political forces to embark on corrective administrative action to improve reporting and reduce child mortality in Maharashtra.

﻿of these contractors so as to establish their monopoly over the contracts awarded by the irrigation department for repair and maintenance of embankments. The provisions relating to award of government contracts clearly envisages that no individual can run more than one company in his name. But the review of the bona fides of contractors showed that 91 contractors had registered themselves in all classes of contractors and thus established a monopoly over the contracts of the irrigation department. Similarly, the department found that hundreds of contractors were running as many as six companies each. Another 124 contractors were found who had been bagging contracts for years but on whom not a single file was available in the irrigation department.

﻿UTTAR PRADESH Community Participation in FP Programme A Report Abhay Bang COMMUNITY participation is easily the most misunderstood and romanticised concept in the field of primary health care. Active participation can become a reality only when the political structure of society and the socio-cultural milieu are favourable to participation and when the individuals have felt a need or incentive and have free will and the time to participate on particular issues. If the real meaning of community participations is understood and assimilated, we should no longer be talking of community participation in the primary health care or in the family planning programme, but should be speaking instead of these programmes in terms of the priorities, activities and the programmes set by the community. Community participation is not a mere means to achieve family planning targets but is a much higher democratic value and political process. But it is a distant goal, and for the purpose of this evaluation a limited view of community participation for improving FP programme will be taken.